Gretzky Scores Three Goals in 6-4 Win : Oilers Turn Back Kings to Take Series Edge Going Into Playoffs

The Kings’ game against the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night was supposed to be a preview of the National Hockey League playoffs, which open next week.

Well, if that’s the case then the five-game series figures to be really tight.

Wayne Gretzky scored three goals, including an empty-netter with eight seconds left, as the Oilers hung on to beat the Kings, 6-4, before 14,835 fans at the Forum.

A fan asked Gretzky for his stick after the game, but he wouldn’t part with it, saying, “No, no, I’ve got to keep this stick. I got three goals with it.”

Gretzky scored twice in the first period as the Oilers jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The Kings trailed 4-1 early in the third period, but they scored three goals to make a game out of it.

The Kings called timeout and pulled goalie Bob Janecyk for an extra skater with 1:18 left, and the move paid off when Dave Taylor scored with 59 seconds left to close the score to 5-4.

But Gretzky got his sixth hat trick of the season when he tapped the puck into an empty net with eight seconds left.

Right wing Mark Napier had one goal and three assists, and left wing Mike Krushelynski added a power-play goal and also had two assists.

Gretzky, who had four points, extended his latest scoring streak to 26 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NHL this season.

He also regained the NHL goal-scoring lead from injured teammate Jari Kurri with his 70th, 71st and 72nd goals of the season. Gretzky just missed getting another goal in the second period when Janecyk stopped him on a breakaway. Janecyk got a standing ovation.

Kurri, who became the first right wing in the NHL ever to score 70 goals, cracked his baby finger at the knuckle in a game against Boston last Thursday. Kurri is being fitted with a cast that will enable him to play, but he isn’t expected back until the playoffs.

The Oilers open defense of their Stanley Cup championship when they meet the Kings next Wednesday in the first round of the playoffs in Edmonton.

Edmonton (49-19-10) has the second-best record in the NHL, one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers (51-20-7).

And Gretzky thinks the Kings will play the Oilers tough in the playoffs. The Kings stunned the Oilers three years ago in the first round of the playoffs.

“I think the Kings are a better hockey club than the one that beat us three years ago,” Gretzky said. “We’re anticipating a very tough playoff. This is the first time you can sit down and say that any one of the four teams in our division has a shot at winning the whole thing.

“We have to make sure that we’re at the top of our game or else it will be like three years ago. We can’t take them lightly.”

Said Kings coach Pat Quinn: “I guess the significance of this game was that we played as well as we can play and they still won. We’ll just try to give our best every night and hope that we can get exceptional goaltending or a break.”

The Oilers got exceptional goaltending from Grant Fuhr, who made 40 saves as the Oilers beat the Kings for the first time in three games and won the season series from the Kings, 4-3-1.

If Fuhr can keep playing like he did against the Kings, they just might make it two straight championships.

Fuhr, who suffered a partially separated shoulder earlier this season, looks fully recovered. He was especially sharp in the first period when he made 17 saves to shut out the Kings.

But Fuhr’s most important save came with 20 seconds left in the game when he blocked a shot by center Bernie Nicholls to keep the Kings from tying the game.

“I just saw the puck flopping in the air and it just dropped into my glove,” Fuhr said. “I think it’s going to be a good series. They definitely skate a lot better than they used to. And they play a physical style, which is what we need. It brings out the best in us. And Janecyk is no slouch.”

The Kings (33-32-13), who have lost six of their last seven games, aren’t exactly going into the playoffs on a high note.

Trailing 4-1 after Napier scored an unassisted goal at 3:16 of the third period, the Kings finally got it together.

Kings defenseman Dave (Tiger) Williams scored his fourth goal in 10 games since he was traded from Detroit last month with 14:53 left in the third period.

But Gretzky set up a goal by left wing Jaroslav Pouzar with 10:56 left to give the Oilers a 5-2 lead.

Kings center Bob Miller scored his first goal in 22 games with 8:44 left off a pass from defenseman Mark Hardy.

And then Taylor scored to bring the Kings within a goal.

The Oilers held a 15-minute team meeting after practice Tuesday morning, and it must have motivated them, as they scored two goals in the first three minutes of the game.

Notes

Kings center Doug Smith, who has missed the last two games after reinjuring his knee last week in a game against Calgary, is expected to start skating today. The Kings close out the regular season this weekend with back-to-back games against the Vancouver Canucks, Friday in Vancouver and Saturday at the Forum.